


Tradition

by Thimblerig



Series: Musketeer Shorts [8]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Bittersweet, Gen, Kink Meme, Platonic Cuddling, Podfic Available, Sleepy Cuddles, minor s3 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 11:06:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6981811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thimblerig/pseuds/Thimblerig
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Finally back in Paris, d'Artagnan goes to spend the night with his wife, while Athos and Porthos finally get to sleep with Aramis back in their midst."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> Bittersweet fluff is kinda my jam. 
> 
> CW: The fluffy parts are _very_ fluffy, bordering on tooth-rotting. You have been warned.
> 
> Now with a very lovely reading by M_LadyinWaiting here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/7186121

Aramis’ nightshirt, when he bothered with a nightshirt, was a long, loose affair of fine cambric that billowed over some areas, draped over others, and in general suggested enough shadows of what was underneath to be an inducement to sin. Four years ago.

What he stood in now was long. It was also loose, woollen, darned, and smelled of lavender. It looked scratchy. He hovered in the doorway of the captain’s quarters, candle in hand. “We don't have to do this,” he said awkwardly, not looking at Porthos.

“It's _tradition,”_ said the other, as he unfastened his armoured coat and set it, jingling, on the back of the chair which now belonged to Athos. He shucked his boots, breeches, and shirt, crawled under the covers of the big bed, and lay there next to the wall, hands folded on his belly, eyes on the plaster ceiling. The strapping under the mattress creaked.

“I'm up and down in the night,” Aramis warned. “I can sleep on the outside.”

“Get in,” ordered Athos shortly, and chivvied him into the bed. He dragged fingers through his hair with a groan, then followed them in, jabbing Aramis with his elbow until there was space for him to lay on his back without falling onto the floor.

They lay there silently for a time, then: “My bed was bigger.”

“Well you don't _have_ that bed anymore -”

“Porthos,” chided Athos.

But, “Sorry,” said Aramis.

Athos blew out the candle.

**

Sometime in the black belly of night the swaying of the mattress woke Porthos, as Aramis clambered apologetically over their silent captain. He tiptoed across the dark room and his knees hit the chilly floor with a soft thunk. Somewhere across the city a mournful bell began to toll. Porthos drifted back to sleep to the soft cadences of Latin verse.

And woke with a start when Aramis climbed back in, hands and feet icy.

**

Porthos woke to tugging on his arm. “Whuzzat?”

“There isn't any snoring,” whispered Aramis urgently.

“It's grand,” said Porthos sleepily.

“Porthos, focus,” said Aramis. “Is Athos ill?”

“He quit drinking.”

“Oh,” said Aramis. “Well good for him.”

“I can hear you quite well,” remarked Athos sadly.

“Sorry,” they chorused.

**

Porthos shifted awkwardly. No, it wasn't any use. Needs of nature and all that. He levered himself up on an elbow. At the jostling the man beside him made a soft sound. “Sorry,” Porthos said, “I got to pee.”

“Right,” said Aramis, and sat upright. Porthos watched in something resembling amusement as he crawled again over the somnolent Athos, struck a light, took Porthos’ hand and helped him out of the bed, led him to the garderobe, checked the garderobe for spiders, waited nearby until Porthos was done, and then put them both back to bed, eyes glazed and blank the whole while.

“Good night. Again,” muttered Athos, not opening his eyes.

Aramis began to snore.   

**

Athos jerked awake, a sob in his throat quickly stifled. Something in his dream about… Roncesvalles? Poitou-Charentes? There had been cannon, but a lot of his dreams featured their thundering mouths and choking breath, it didn't signify. He drew a slow deep breath and let it out.

Something was stroking his hair.

He held back the urge to reach for the dagger under his pillow. “Shhhhhh,” he heard. “Shhhhhh. Maman can still see you, I promise.” Athos bit his tongue.

“‘Nother story?” mumbled Aramis. “Um. Once upon a time there was a little girl called Marie who was clever as a rabbit and canny as a mouse and she went tripping and skipping over God’s green earth and one day she met the biggest man in the world. ‘Scuse me,’ she said politely, ‘are you a giant?’ ‘I am,’ said he, ‘my name’s Porthos and I'm the best giant that ever was. On the first day, when sunlight first touched mountain, that's how I came to be. I eat monsters for breakfast, munch munch, and when the wind blows I r-o-a-r...’” Aramis waited. Athos hesitated, then mustered a tiny roar of his own. In the predawn darkness he could just see Porthos watching over Aramis’ shoulder, eyes glittering. “‘But excuse _me,’_ said the giant, ‘Are you by any chance a little girl? Because I have this problem and everyone knows that little girls are the cleverest and kindest in all creation...’ ”

**

Aramis woke to birdsong, the creak of cartwheels, the bawl of a driver cussing out a horse, the ever present reek of a city… He felt rather squashed, lying somewhat on his side with Porthos’ weight draped over him, and an arm reached across to pull Athos in. There was a tickle of breath against his collarbone, where Athos had tucked his chilly nose, and a tug on his scalp where the good Captain had a fistful of his hair.

Tradition.

Aramis wasn't sorry at all.   

**Author's Note:**

> I pinched the line, "Porthos, focus," from... somewhere, because it made me laugh. 
> 
> Full prompt: "Finally back in Paris, d'Artagnan goes to spend the night with his wife, while Athos and Porthos finally get to sleep with Aramis back in their midst. 
> 
> BrOT3 platonic bed-sharing, or OT3 reunion sex -- I'll be happy either way."

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Tradition by Thimblerig - the Podcast**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7186121) by [M_LadyinWaiting (Tanis)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tanis/pseuds/M_LadyinWaiting)




End file.
